Chapter 2: An Interesting Idea

The following morning I sat in my kitchen drinking coffee and tried to think how I was going to get to Dawn and what I was going to do about the two lechers that were after her. I didn't know this Dawn or her husband Kevin so a little inside knowledge would be helpful.

After digging around in the bureau for a while, I found one of my wife Anita's old address books. Thumbing through it I found the number I was looking for. Now it was all down to nerve; could I call a friend of Anita's and ask her for some information? Well, why the hell not? If I tell her what I'm up to, with any luck she'll understand why I'm doing it and help me. But then again she could tell me to piss-off. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I dialled the number.

"Kara, it's Martin Shaw."

"Oh, hello, Martin, how are you keeping? I haven't seen Anita for months, you know."

As I feared Kara had gone straight onto the defensive, and was what I'd expected her to do. Either that or she would tell me to F-off, but at least she was being civil.

"No, Kara, I'm not calling about Anita. I saw her the other week and she says she's fine, I only wish I were! She is looking a lot better, now she's not with him anymore."

I'd run into Anita in the supermarket one day a few weeks back. It had been one of those embarrassing meetings where we didn't really know what to say to each other. You know it's very hard to know how to behave when you meet someone you are in love with but can't be with any more. I know I found it painful and will not use that store again because I think that's where Anita must be working. She must have a job as she has never taken any money from our bank accounts.

"It broke my heart when you two split up; I really don't know what she saw in that creep."

"Sorry, Kara, but I didn't call you to talk about Anita and me. It's someone else's marriage that I'm worried about at the moment. I don't want to see another couple go the way Anita and I did. I think I'm in on the ground floor and might be able to put a stop to things before they get out of hand. But I need some information and you're the only person I can think of to get it for me."

"I'll help you if I can. What is it you want to know?"

"I'm right in remembering you're the personnel manager for Archers, aren't I?"

"Yes and no. I'm the assistant personnel manager, but you know that the files there are confidential. I can't tell you anything about the people who work for Archers."

"Look, this is important. Can I come around and tell you what is going on. I think it's in Archers interest for you to give me the information I need."

"Sure, you can come around if you like. But you're going to need a good reason to get anything out of me on any of Archers staff."

"Great. Is Reg there now?"

"Yes, but what has Reg got to do with it? Oh, of course, you don't want any misunderstandings. Really, Martin, I think you have gotten a little paranoid. I'll tell Reg you're coming. I don't think he has plans to go out; so you're safe. He will act as our chaperone."

"Thanks, I'll be around in half an hour."

Being that I was in all but name a single man, I didn't want Kara's husband Reg, or any husband come to that, to get the wrong idea.

"Look, Kara, when you find the woman you have trusted for ten years is running around on you, you get a whole different prospective on finding a wife alone with another man. I have no intention of ever getting into a compromising situation myself."

Less than half an hour later Kara and I were sitting in her kitchen drinking coffee, as she listened to the recording. Well, parts of it; I jumped it about a bit and with a little difficulty located most of the relevant passages. With a four hour recording, that wasn't quite as easy as it sounds.

Then Kara literally took over, I hadn't expected her to jump straight in as an ally.

"The bloody bastard!" Kara exclaimed, "He'll get the bleeding sack for this if I have anything to do with it. Thanks, Martin, can I have a copy of that recording for my boss to listen to?"

"Hold your horses, Kara, don't go off half cocked! He hasn't actually done anything yet. Could you swear that it is his voice on that recording? They only used Christian names. Try throwing that at him and you could well finish up on the wrong end of an industrial tribunal."

"Bugger! Of course you're right. What can we do then?"

"I figured I'd talk to Dawn. I was only going to warn her off. But if you want to make it official, with any luck when this Doug puts the squeeze on her, she can make a complaint of sexual harassment."

"With us, Oh I'm sorry! You. I've got no right to interfere in what goes on inside your company. Anyway, if you are keeping close tabs on things and can get a recording of his actual propositioning her, you've got him!"

"And what do we do if Dawn doesn't play ball. She might want that promotion and I can't promise it to her."

"Simple. I had that worked out already. I'll quietly let her old man know what's going on. I should imagine he'll soon put a bloody stop to it. But then we have the problem that it could get very messy. You should see the blighter. He's a bloody man mountain."

"Yeah, Kevin is on the large size. I've met him a few times. But I think he's more likely to kill Douglas. Kevin's supposed to have a terrible temper."

"Then let's hope Dawn plays ball."

We talked for another hour or so before I went home. Kara said she was going to try and set up a meeting during lunchtime the following week between the two of us and Dawn. She wanted me there, as I had actually witnessed the guys discussing Dawn's seduction.

Kara called me in my office about ten-thirty on the Monday morning and asked me if I could meet with her and Dawn at lunch time. We arranged to meet in the "Plough". (No, I don't spend my whole life in there.)

Shortly after Kara rang, her boss called me and thanked me for letting them know what was going on. Typical company man, he was more worried about the firm getting into trouble for sexual harassment than he was about what the consequences were likely to be for Dawn and Kevin's marriage. That was to come back and bite him, but that story comes later.

At twelve o'clock I was waiting in the Plough when Kara and Dawn came in. I brought them both a drink and we ordered lunch.

Poor old George the barman was very confused. Since I had broken up with my wife he had never seen me in the bar with any female company. Now I was sitting there, having lunch with two very beautiful young ladies and what with me staying late on the Friday night he was dying to know what was going on.

For those of you that aren't regular pub goers, on quiet nights a good barman will get quite an insight into his regular customers' lives. Now poor old George was trying to understand why I was doing things that he thought were completely out of character for me.

The three of us had settled at a quiet table, then Kara put the ball in my court when she turned to Dawn and said, "Dawn, this is Mr Shaw, the gentleman I told you about. As I told you he called me over the weekend as he was very perturbed about what he overheard being discussed in here on Friday evening. Would you like to tell her Martin?"